Y150 NISSAN PAVILION by TORAFU ARCHITECTS, Using Air as a Material. The NISSAN Y150 Dream Front pavilion was designed as part of the EXPO Y150 initiative commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Opening of the Port of Yokohama.

"Stemming from Nissan’s vision for a future with clean air, our concept aimed to create a generous form of expression by allowing light and signs of presence to permeate the surroundings and by using air as a material itself."

Located in a warehouse on the Shinko Pier, the Nissan Motors PR project spanned two areas focusing on the theme of children and the environment; “Word Park” and “Pivo Labo”.

“Word Park” is a large exhibition space that houses 16 giant bubbles ranging from 4.5m to 10m in diameter where 1 million messages are expected to fill them; whirling and dancing around as blue leaves. These bubbles give the surrounding space its physicality, inviting visitors to playfully navigate through it.

Incidentally, the spheres touch at certain points, supporting each other and creating a feeling of tension. Virtual images projected on the 0.5mm thin membranes come to life on the round surfaces giving them the aspect of solidity.

Natural light coming down from skylights passes through layers of transparent and opaque membranes; casting and distorting shadows of visitors moving between the spheres and giving the whole space its tone and atmosphere in a hazy mix of projected shapes and shapeless forms.

TORAFU ARCHITECTS sought to give the pavilion an ever-changing enchanted atmosphere with its many reflected images and to eliminate the tributary relationship between ground and figure represented here by the open space and spheres respectively.

“Pivo Labo” features the Nissan PIVO 2 electric car and a video showcase of the company’s environmental practices. Kids’ seats in “Pivo Labo” are made of recycled paper honeycombs echoing the concept used in “Word Park” where a compact object filled with air populates a larger area.